Few users really understand the difference between an antivirus and an antimalware, given that the two types of products have ended up getting confused and often become synonyms of complete protection for PCs with a Windows operating system.
If we really have to analyze the differences, it is enough to know that an antivirus is designed to block computer viruses and their direct evolutions (such as trojans and worms) the instant they appear, while an anti-malware acts on a broader spectrum of threats, also blocking threats to privacy (and system integrity) only at the request of the user, who must then manually start the anti-malware scan to find hidden threats.
In the past it was common practice to combine an excellent traditional antivirus with an antimalware for periodic scans, so as to enhance the security of the computer: today this separation no longer makes sense, since it is possible to try a complete product like Malwarebytes, which combines its great capabilities of interception of threats of all kinds to a real-time scanning engine, thus acting as antivirus and antimalware.
In the following paragraphs you can find all the information on the solutions offered by Malwarebytes, so as to choose the one that suits us and, if convinced by the all-in-one solution offered by this company, activate a license for one of the paid versions available for this product.
Who is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
This popular antimalware has been produced since 2008 by Malwarebytes Inc, a US company based in Santa Clara, California. At the beginning, the full name of the product was Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and was designed as a tool to be added to the normal antivirus present in the system, so as to be able to scan and detect any threats "escaped" to the main antivirus.
Over the years the product has achieved significant improvements and changed its name to Malwarebytes, maintaining its great threat detection capacity and adding new control tools that can also replace traditional antivirus, so as to be able to focus on a single solution for protect your home or business computer.
What is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Although available as a complete computer security product, Malwarebytes was born as an on-demand scanner and still maintains this approach for the free version of the product.
In fact, Malwarebytes can be installed on your computer and, using the free license, you can start it once in a while (we recommend once a month) to scan your PC, without interfering with Windows Defender or any other antivirus that may be present on your computer.
At any time you can benefit from the superior level of protection with Malwarebytes Premium, which unlocks protection in real time (on-access scanner) and allows you to effectively replace any antivirus used up to that moment. The level of protection is really very high, as you can find out by reading the following chapters of the guide.
Features of Malwarebytes
To understand how Malwarebytes can replace a traditional antivirus, it is possible to find in the following chapters all the features that distinguish this product from other similar ones and choose whether to be satisfied with the free version or whether to focus on the paid version.
Safety and functions
The free version of Malwarebytes does not have a real-time scanner, but it can be used to initiate a periodic scan on your computer. The features that make Malwarebytes free one of the best antimalware scanning systems are:
All these features have contributed to making Malwarebytes the best antimalware that can be installed on PCs with Windows operating system, since it does not interfere with other protection solutions and can start fast and effective scans to also find any threats that may have escaped the antivirus chosen.
Additional services
Malwarebytes Premium offers a higher level of protection, which effectively allows all users to replace the antivirus used up to that moment, focusing on a single product to ensure maximum system security. The additional features of Malwarebytes Premium are:
These additional features can be tried immediately for 14 days for free, after which you need to renew your license to leave them active. If you do not proceed with the license renewal, the premium features of the solution will be disabled, leaving the free features seen in the previous list active.
The company also provides an effective unlimited VPN for connection protection and data encryption, but it is only accessible with the Premium + Privacy license, which we will discuss in the dedicated chapter.
System performance and impact
In order to verify the Malwarebytes capacity, it is possible to read the results of the tests carried out by the AV Test site, which assigns a rating from 0 (very bad) to 6 (excellent) for the categories Protection, Performance and Usability. The latest test conducted on Malwarebytes Premium certifies the goodness of the security solution, as can be seen in the following list:
The assigned values allow us to effectively evaluate Malwarebytes Premium as one of the most balanced antiviral solutions, with a very good level of protection against all threats (including 0-day threats, where it proves to be sufficiently reactive), an excellent impact on system performance (in fact it is not possible to perceive its presence) and a high usability, which allows any user to protect their PC without getting lost among a thousand options or a thousand warning windows, thanks to the simplicity of the interface designed for Malwarebytes.
Compatibility
Malwarebytes Premium is available for all Windows operating systems (from Windows XP to Windows 10), but also provides a specific version for Mac and Android devices, so that it can also block the threats that occur on these very popular platforms. At the time of writing, Malwarebytes for iPhone and iPad is not available in Italy, being downloadable only in the US.
To learn more, see also the guide to the best antivirus for Mac.
In addition to specific applications for operating systems, it also provides an extension for Google Chrome, so as to be able to increase the level of security when browsing the Internet, obtaining evaluation scores on sites and the level of privacy applied; thanks to the porting of the Android apps, it is also possible to install Malwarebytes on Chrome OS systems, so as to protect this new operating system as well.
Customer service
Malwarebytes customer support is only available in English, so better be familiar with this language before asking for help. For all inquiries you can use the Malwarebytes support page, which provides answers on all versions of the antimalware, whatever the platform used.
If, on the other hand, we want to get in touch directly with the assistance, it is possible to use the ticket creation form, so as to be able to explain the problem and receive dedicated assistance via email.
If we wish to call it is possible to use the telephone number 408-852-4336, but the costs of the international call could be high; we recommend leaving this possibility only as a last resort, focusing mainly on the ticket system managed by email.
Pricing and subscription plans
If the protection of Malwarebytes Premium is suitable for the needs of your PC, you can choose a license for use for a single device at a cost of € 3.33 per month, which will be billed annually (for an annual cost of € 39.96 ). If, on the other hand, it is necessary to protect more devices, it is possible to bet on the license for 5 devices at a cost of € 6.67 per month, also in this case billed annually (for an annual cost of € 80.04).
To benefit from the complete protection of Malwarebytes Premium, you can also choose the Premium + Privacy license, which also adds the unlimited VPN at a cost of € 7.08 per month with 12-month advance billing (annual cost € 84.96).
It should be remembered that Malwarebytes multi-device licenses can be used both to protect Windows computers only and to protect devices with other operating systems such as Mac and Android, which have dedicated versions.
Summary and conclusions
Malwarebytes has been for many years the best cleaning tool for infected computers: it was installed and in a few minutes it cleaned up all the malware present on PCs entrusted to beginners, even those not recoverable with other much more famous antivirus.
This reputation has been exploited by the company to also offer a complete antivirus for PC, so as to no longer have to use the product as a simple cleaning tool but as a complete security system and block any threat before it can expand on the computer.
Malwarebytes is probably the lightest and easiest antivirus to use even for users who are not very familiar with technology, since in the basic configuration it is sufficient to install it and forget it, as most of the operations are automated or optimized to autonomously block all the threats detected.
Among the licenses offered by the company for Malwarebytes Premium, it is advisable to immediately focus on the multi-device license, so as to be able to protect more computers or offer a higher level of protection even to Macs or Android devices; It is a pity that the app for iPhone and iPad is not currently available in Italy, it would certainly have been convenient to protect phones and tablets with the Apple brand too.
To protect the privacy of the sites visited and hide our public IP, it is possible to focus on the full Premium + Privacy license, which also adds Malwarebytes' fast and unassailable VPN to the security configuration already seen with the basic licenses.
For users who are not convinced in adopting Malwarebytes Premium as a complete security solution, you can read the following FAQ, where you can find the most frequently asked questions from users and the answers provided by IT experts.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware FAQ
Is there a free version of Malwarebytes?
Malwarebytes anti malware was born as a free on demand scanner, so you can use it in this capacity without time limits and without having to pay any license fees.
As mentioned in the previous chapters, the paid version of the program (Malwarebytes Premium) is activated as a free trial for 14 days and then automatically switches to the free version if you skip the payment for the license (at the end of the trial period).
There is obviously no obligation, just try it for 14 days in the Premium version and, when it expires, keep the free version with only the scanner on request.
See also advice on the best free antivirus.
Can you use Malwarebytes on Mac?
Malwarebytes is available on macOS operating systems, offering a level of protection comparable to that obtainable with the Windows version.
On Mac, protection focuses on malicious links, on analyzing suspicious emails and on identity theft attempts brought by scam sites, but it is also possible to scan downloaded files and executables for Windows, so as to protect other PCs as well. present on the network in case of file exchange or access to shared network folders.
Can Malwarebytes be used on smartphones (Android and iOS)?
Malwarebytes anti malware provides an app for Android devices that can be downloaded directly from the Google Play Store. This app brings the power of the scanning engine to your phone or tablet, so you can block any threat designed to steal personal data, to access e-commerce or home-banking apps, compromise the SIM to reduce the remaining credit. , stop mobile ransomware (designed to lock personal files) and dangerous cryptominters, which use the power of the phone to mine cryptocurrency.
Many features of the Malwarebytes app are available for a fee and you can pay either by using in-app purchases or by applying a multi-device license, so you can choose whether to protect only mobile devices or protect the PC and phones we use every day.
Does it burden the system a lot (good for older hardware)?
As can be seen from the chapter dedicated to performance tests, Malwarebytes is the lightest anti-malware in memory, even if we are focusing on the paid version; even by integrating the on-access scanner, this program remains much lighter than the most famous antivirus, thus offering effective protection even on older computers.
The minimum system requirements certify the lightness of this antimalware and antivirus solution, given that to run Malwarebytes a PC equipped with an 800 MHz processor with SSE2 technology, 2 GB of RAM (on 64-bit operating systems) or 1 GB of RAM (on 32-bit operating systems) and 250 MB of free hard disk space.
See also: lightweight antivirus.